


Who We Are Today

by romeoandjulietyouwish



Series: Lis Writes 9-1-1 [6]
Category: 9-1-1 (TV)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Athena Grant Being a Mom, Bobby Nash Being a Dad, Chistopher Diaz is an angel, Coming Out, Gen, Hurt Evan "Buck" Buckley, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Past Child Abuse, Protective Bobby Nash, Protective Eddie Diaz, Sad Evan "Buck" Buckley, Worried Bobby Nash, Worried Eddie Diaz
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-03 01:41:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24096760
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/romeoandjulietyouwish/pseuds/romeoandjulietyouwish
Summary: Someone from Buck's past is back to hurt him, thankfully he has a bunch of people who care a whole lot about him.
Relationships: Evan "Buck" Buckley & Bobby Nash, Evan "Buck" Buckley & Christopher Diaz (9-1-1 TV), Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz (9-1-1 TV)
Series: Lis Writes 9-1-1 [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1725208
Comments: 15
Kudos: 592





	Who We Are Today

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this fic in my head for a while and then I wrote it and it was absolute garbage, but whatever.

Buck paces outside of the house before and finally works up the courage to ring the doorbell. He breathes quickly, shoving his hands into his pockets. He checks his watch, it’s almost midnight. He should go, Bobby and Athena have kids that have school tomorrow. He shouldn’t be here, Buck is just about to turn around and walk back to his car when-

“Buck?” Bobby asks blearily as he opens the door. “What are you doing here?”

  
Buck turns around and looks at his shoes. “Can I come in?” Buck asks nervously. “Please, I didn’t know where else to go.” It’s those words that seem to wake Bobby. He ushers Buck in quickly. 

“Are you okay, kid?” Bobby leads Buck into the living room, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders as he sits down. 

Buck bounces his leg, “I-I don’t know.” 

“Buck?” Bobby puts a hand on Buck’s shoulder, squeezing to get him to look up. “Are you hurt? Drunk? High?” 

“No,” Buck shakes his head. “I-I’m okay.” 

“The fact that you showed up at my door at midnight would say otherwise,” Bobby sits down next to Buck, his knees popping. “What’s going on?” 

“Buck?” Athena’s voice comes from the hallway as she walks into the living room. Her face hardens into concern when she sees Buck. “What are you doing here, sweetie?” She sits down on the coffee table, leaning over and squeezing his knee. “Is everything okay?” 

Buck shakes his head. “It’s my dad,” Buck says after a moment, he focuses on rolling a sting from the blanket between his fingers. “Maddie called me tonight and told me that he’s looking for me. He showed up at her apartment asking where I live. She-she lied; said she hadn’t gotten back in touch with me. But, he’s going to find me, I know he is, he-” Buck gasps for air as Bobby rubs his back gently. 

Athena frowns, “Why is your dad looking for you?”

“He hates me,” Buck says like it’s the most sensible thing in the world. “On the day before I left for California, he told me that if I ever saw him again it would be because he is finally ready to kill me himself.” 

“Buck…” Bobby tugs Buck to lean into his side. Buck goes willingly, gratefully accepting the comfort. He lays his head against the captain’s shoulder. 

“Why does he hate you?” Athena asks softly. 

“I was a mistake,” Buck tells them. “My parents didn’t want me and when I told them I was-” Buck cuts himself off. He hasn’t told them yet, hasn’t told anyone. Not even Eddie. 

“You were…?” Bobby prompts. He rubs Buck’s arm, “You can tell us anything, Buck.” Athena nods in agreement.

Buck takes a deep breath, “I-I told them I was bisexual,” Buck whispers. Bobby and Athena smile gently at him, letting him know that it’s okay and he can continue with his story. “And-and my dad didn’t like that very much I guess.”

“Did he ever hurt you, Buck?” Buck hates the way Athena asks it, like she already pities him. 

Buck scoffs, “When did he not hurt me? You don’t need a punching bag when you have a kid who’s too scared to defend himself.” The reaction is immediate. Bobby turns to face Buck and hugs him full on after a few seconds Bobby releases him, looking even sadder. Buck angrily wipes his eyes. “I have a lot more sympathy for Maddie than you think.”

“Does she know?” Bobby asks gently. 

“Parts,” Buck tells them. “I didn’t tell her everything, I don’t want her to feel any more guilty than she already does for leaving me. When she came here she still had a good relationship with dad, but after I told her what happened, she cut him off.” 

“That’s good,” Athena rubs his arm. “But now he’s back.” 

“I’m so scared,” Buck tells them, his voice bordering on desperate. “I-I hate feeling so...powerless.” 

“I know,” Athena moves to the couch, sitting on his other side, wrapping an arm around him. “I know, but it’s going to be okay. Bobby and I will make sure of that.” Bobby nods in confirmation.

“Can I stay here tonight?” Buck asks, looking up at the couple with teary eyes. “I-I don’t really feel safe all alone in my apartment, and I-I didn’t know where else to go.”

Athena scoffs, “As if we’d let you leave. I’ll go get you some sheets from the closet and we can make you a bed on the couch, how does that sound?”

  
“Thank you, Athena,” Buck says softly. Athena pats his shoulder as she walks past.

“You did the right thing coming here, Buck,” Bobby assures him as if he can read Buck’s thoughts. “I’m proud of you. We both know that three months ago you would have rather had an hour-long panic attack in your apartment than asking for help.” Bobby touches Buck’s chest as he says, “I am so proud of you.” 

“Thank you,” Buck says. He doesn’t need to tell Bobby that hardly anyone has said that to him in a long time. 

Athena comes back a few moments later with a pillow and a stack of blankets. As Buck pulls the blankets over himself, Athena leans down and kisses the top of his head, “You get some sleep now and we’ll see you in the morning.” 

* * *

“You came in with the cap today?” Eddie asks, tearing his granola bar in half. 

This morning Bobby insisted on driving him to work as well as making him breakfast. When Buck protested, saying he could take care of himself, Bobby just waved him off saying it was the least he could do. Buck senses that there will be a lot of coddling coming from Buck and Athena for a while. Buck finds that he doesn’t mind much, in fact, it’s kind of nice having someone to take care of him.

Buck nods, pouring himself a cup of coffee, “I...uh yeah.” 

Eddie lifts an eyebrow, “You gonna tell me why?” 

“I wasn’t planning on it, no,” Buck takes his cup of coffee and walks out of the kitchen, hoping to end the conversation there. But Eddie is too stubborn for that and follows Buck out of the kitchen. 

“What’s wrong?” Eddie steps in front of Buck, putting a hand on his chest to stop him. “Buck, don’t lie to me.” 

Buck sighs, he knows that if he doesn’t tell Eddie the man will just give him anxious glances al day, “My dad is in town and he’s looking for me.” 

Eddie, who Buck had previously told about his dad, pales and takes a step closer, lowering his voice. “Are you okay? What happened?” 

Buck shrugs, “Maddie called me and told me he was in town so I went to Bobby and Athena’s. I-I would have come to your place, but I didn’t want to risk my dad following me and hurting you or Chris and Athena is a cop-”

Eddie shushes him, “I’m just glad you got help, Buck. Though I know a certain little boy who been begging me to ask you to come over for a week…”

Buck laughs, “Using Chris against me? You’re playing dirty.” Eddie rolls his eyes. “But I’ll be over tonight.”

“Bring a bag,” Eddie demands. “You’re staying with me until Athena finds that piece of shit.” 

Their conversation is interrupted by the alarm going off. “Buckley, Diaz, let’s go!” Bobby calls from the ground floor. Buck gives Eddie a meaningful look, silently telling him thank you, before they run down the steps. 

* * *

“Buck!” Christopher cheers when Eddie opens the door and reveals Buck on the other side. 

“Hey, buddy!” Buck sweeps Christopher into a big hug, the boy laughing. Eddie leads Buck, carrying Christopher over his shoulder while he giggles, into the house. Once Chris is set on his feet, he hugs Buck again and sits down on the couch. Eddie asks Chris to find a movie he wants to watch and nods to Buck to talk in the kitchen. 

“How are you feeling?” Eddie asks, leaning against the counter. “And be honest, Buck.” 

He sighs, “I-I’m...terrified, Eds. All I can think about is what if he finds me, what am I going to do? And I just...don’t know.” Buck runs a hand through his hair. “I hate that I’m still afraid of him after all this time, I’m still letting what he did to me affect me.” 

“Evan,” Eddie closes the distance between them, Buck feels his heart flutter at his given name, “what he did was awful. No child should ever have to live in fear of their parents. I would be more worried if you told me you were completely fine. It’s okay to be scared.”

“Is it?” Buck looks up at Eddie. “Our job is about bravery in the face of danger, if I show someone I’m scared then they don’t trust me and then people die. I can’t be scared, Eddie.”

Eddie takes his hands, “You can be scared in front of me. I’m not going to judge you, I want to help you, Buck. I care about you, a lot. You don’t pretend in front of me.” 

And just like that Buck crumbles. Eddie gently guides them to sit on the floor, leaning against the cabinets as Buck presses his head against his chest and sobs. Buck lets everything he’s kept cooped up since he got Maddie’s call out. All of his anxieties and fears and desperation and hurt and pains and Eddie just holds him, talking gently to him. Eddie runs his fingers through Buck’s hair and holds him close.

Just as Buck’s tears subside he hears a soft, “Buck?” Buck looks up from Eddie’s chest to find Christopher standing over them, leaning on his crutches. 

“Hi, superman,” Buck’s voice breaks. 

Christopher puts his crutches aside and, with the aid of his father, he sits on the floor in front of Buck. Chris reaches out and touches Buck’s cheek, “You’re crying.” Buck leans into the boy’s touch. “Are you okay?” 

Buck sighs, “No, buddy, not really.” He glances at Eddie, silently asking what to say. Trust reads clear across the older man’s face, Eddie is letting him decide how much to tell Chris. Buck pulls out of Eddie’s arms to help Chris into his lap. “You have a really great dad, you know that?” Chris nods happily. “Well,” Buck moves some of Chris’s hair out of his eyes, “my dad wasn’t anything like yours, the exact opposite.” Chris frowns, not understanding. “He didn’t like me very much,” Buck explains. 

“Is that why you were crying?”

“Partly,” Buck nods. “He’s here in California, looking for me. He wants to hurt me again.” 

“We’ll protect you,” Chris leans over and hugs Buck tightly around the neck. 

“Thank you, buddy,” Buck hugs him back and over the boy’s shoulder, he makes misty eye-contact with Eddie. And wordlessly Eddie wraps the two in a hug. 

Later that night when the couple has put Chris to bed and they are sitting silently together watching tv, Buck’s phone rings. On the other line is Athena, telling him they found his father. Buck thanks her over and over and once he hangs up, he throws his arms around Eddie’s neck, sobbing tears of joy. 

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos make my day :)
> 
> Tumblr- @evanbuckley-heartofgold
> 
> If you have any other 9-1-1 fic ideas for me to write let me know!


End file.
